East Grand Fire and Grand Fire worked together to quickly put out a chimney fire Thursday at Devil’s Thumb Ranch.

East Grand Capt. Jed Henry explained that around 5 p.m. Thursday, someone outside the building spotted flames on the chimney at Heck’s Tavern. East Grand Fire and Grand Fire responded immediately.

Henry noted that the aspect of the hexagonal roof made access challenging. With the help of Grand Fire, four engines, and a lot of hose, crews were able to get the water down the chimney and extinguish the fire.

Crews put tarps around the hearth inside to catch the incoming water. Henry said damage was minimal and kept to the roof and chimney, not reaching the structure of the building.

“They were back in business in just under two hours,” he said.

Henry said that because ashes and flames were coming out of the chimney during the fire, the staff at Devil’s Thumb assisted with walking the grounds in the area to make sure nothing else had caught on fire.

Henry said he thinks the fire was caused by the build-up of creosote — a type of soot that can accumulate in wood-burning fireplaces and is extremely flammable. He said the event is a good reminder for everyone to get their chimneys cleaned, especially if they use that chimney a lot.

Henry added that Grand Fire assisted with this response while simultaneously responding to a vehicle accident. Grand County Emergency Medical Services was also on scene.

With daylight savings happening Sunday, Henry also wanted to note that now is a great time for the public to check the batteries of their fire and carbon monoxide alarms.